Policy for Visiting Clerkship and Scholar Programs

Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences
College of Veterinary Medicine
The Ohio State University

Visiting Clerkship and Scholar Policy (Printable version)
Visitor Approval Form (Printable version)

Overview

The Ohio State University Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences offers a variety of clinical programs for visiting veterinary students, interns, residents, practitioners, and faculty. Visitor programs enrich our own clinical program, provide academic growth for visiting participants and help other institutions meet specific programmatic needs. Visitors provide opportunities for collaboration and sharing of ideas in teaching, clinics, and research. International visitors enhance our cultural diversity and encourage development of professional relationships between OSU and the global veterinary community. In some cases, visiting students and residents from other institutions develop an interest in applying for future intern, resident, or faculty positions in our program.

Visitors are accepted by special arrangement and prior approval of the faculty and Chair of the Department. The categories of visitor programs include the following.

• Visiting Student Clerkships—Unique clinical rotation experiences for visiting 4^th-year (senior) veterinary students who are enrolled in AVMA-accredited veterinary colleges in North America.
• Visiting Intern and Resident Clerkships—Unique clinical rotation experiences for visiting veterinary interns and residents from North American post-professional training programs.
• Visiting Practitioner Clerkships—Unique clinical rotation experiences for practicing veterinarians from North America, including veterinarians in private practice, industry, or nonprofit programs.
• Visiting Faculty Scholars—Focused clinical experiences or academic collaborations for faculty members from peer colleges of veterinary medicine in North America.
• International Visiting Clerkships and International Faculty Scholar Programs—Unique clinical rotation experiences for international visitors and observers who are senior veterinary students, interns, residents, faculty, or practitioners from other countries.

Specialty Areas Available

Visiting clerkship rotations are usually for one or more 2-week blocks. Examples of clerkship rotations are shown in the following list. Other areas of specialty focus may be possible by special arrangement. Visiting faculty scholars generally arrange to collaborate with a specific OSU faculty member.

• Small Animal Internal Medicine
• Cardiology
• Neurology
• Oncology, Hematology, and Transfusion Medicine
• Dermatology
• Ophthalmology
• Small Animal Emergency and Critical Care
• Community Practice
• Diagnostic Imaging (Radiology)
• Radiation Oncology
• Anesthesiology
• Small Animal Surgery (Soft Tissue and/or Orthopedics)
• Equine Medicine
• Equine Surgery
• Equine Emergency and Critical Care
• Equine Field Services (Ambulatory Medicine)
• Food and Fiber Animal Medicine and Surgery

Clinical Activities

The daily clinical activities of participants in visitor programs are varied and determined primarily by the faculty in each specialty service. Opportunities for learning are enhanced by the outstanding faculty, the large and diverse clinical caseload, and the comprehensive facilities of the OSU Veterinary Teaching Hospital. Clerkship participants are encouraged to observe and assist our faculty and students in all clinical activities, including patient exams, rounds, special procedures, and surgeries, as the opportunity arises; however, they do not have specific primary patient care responsibilities or structured didactic learning experiences. Arrangements for special focused clinical experiences must be approved in advance by the faculty members and Service Head in the applicable specialty service. The clinical activities of visitors must comply with Ohio law and the policies of the Ohio Veterinary Medical Licensing Board.

General Guidelines and Procedures

• Application Process: Applications and inquiries regarding visiting clerkship and scholar programs should be directed to the appropriate faculty service head (i.e., faculty member leading the specialty area requested) as the initial point of contact. Applying at least 6 months before the proposed visit is recommended.
• All applications require the departmental Visitor Approval Form and the following information:
  • Applicant's name, postal address, email address, and daytime telephone number
  • Clinical rotation (specialty area) requested
  • Beginning and ending dates of proposed visit
  • Veterinary school and year of graduation (or expected graduation)
  • Current place of employment (for graduate veterinarians)
  • Citizenship and visa status (for international applicants)
  • Completion of the State of Ohio Declaration Regarding Material Assistance/Non-assistance to Terrorist Organizations (DMA) form.

For students: The application must include a transcript or letter of verification from the Dean of Student Affairs (or other comparable institutional official), verifying that the student is matriculated and in good academic standing in a college of veterinary medicine.

For interns, residents, faculty, and practitioners: The application must be accompanied by a curriculum vita or resume, and a brief letter of intent stating the purpose of the visit.

• Approval Process: The approval of a visiting clerkship or faculty scholar program requires completion of a Departmental Visitor Approval Form by the sponsoring faculty member(s), with signed approval of both the sponsoring Service Head (in the applicable specialty service area) and Department Chair. Visitor requests may be declined if the proposed visit is scheduled to occur during a time when an large number of OSU veterinary students or other visitors are expected in the specialty service, or if the proposed visit is scheduled to occur when faculty staffing is insufficient to meet programmatic needs. The Department Chair reserves the right to limit visitors at any time. For visitors requesting rotations through 2 or more clinical service areas, the sponsoring faculty member and Service Head from each clinical service must approve the proposed visit for their specialty area, including the date and duration, by signing the Visitor Approval Form.
• Visa Processing: International visitors are required to have an appropriate visa and clearance from Homeland Security. Processing for non-tourist visas requires an administrative processing fee of $250. The visitor is responsible for paying this and all other fees and expenses incurred with the visa application. Visa fees must be received before visa materials will be sent to international visitors.
• Clerkship Grades: Clerkships are not routinely graded or evaluated, but special forms will be completed and grades provided (pass/fail) for veterinary students whose institution requires completion of such forms. Visiting students must provide advance notice of special requirements for grading or evaluation when they submit their application.
• Accommodations: Clerkship participants are expected to make their own arrangements for transportation and living accommodations. Many motels and hotels are available in the Columbus area through the Yellow Pages or the OSU Housing website. International visitors can also get assistance through the university's Office of International Education —OIE.
• Insurance: Clerkship participants are required to provide evidence of personal health insurance, which must be maintained for the entire clerkship period.
• Liability: Visitors in clinical areas of the Veterinary Teaching Hospital will be required to sign a waiver of liability form that releases the University from liability in the event of injury or mishap.
• Fees: see Table 1